Oak Grove College, Worthing
Oak Grove College is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Worthing. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oak Grove College in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Oak Grove College are Palatine Primary School (0.2 miles, Good); Courtlands Independent Special School (1.2 miles, Good); Brighton Forward Ltd (1.7 miles); and Seadown School (2.4 miles, Good).
Palatine Primary SchoolCourtlands Independent Special SchoolBrighton Forward LtdSeadown School
Where pupils go next
Of the 43 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 95% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 51% to a further education college.
Who goes there
49.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (79%), Mixed (6%) and Asian (5%).
Almost every pupil at Oak Grove College has an education, health and care plan (274 of 274 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Oak Grove College provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Durrington-on-Sea Rail Station, about 1130 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Blenheim Avenue (opposite), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 262 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Oak Grove College issued 28 suspensions, 10 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils who communicate verbally have highly positive views of Oak Grove College. One pupil told inspectors, 'This school values everything and everyone for their opinions and who they are. I love that about this school.' Pupils who do not communicate verbally frequently express their pleasure and engagement with the enriching learning that the school provides.
The school is determined that every pupil learns to communicate effectively so that they can express their views and make decisions about their own lives. Some pupils, for example, might be learning to use facial expressions or eye gaze to communicate that they want to continue with an activity or experience they enjoy, or to say that they want to stop. The school ensures all staff are highly responsive to pupils' communications, so that all pupils learn they can make decisions for themselves, and that their views and feelings matter. Pupils across the school achieve well because staff plan for each individual very carefully, and pupils are keen to learn and be successful.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has developed comprehensively sequenced learning pathways for all pupils. To ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of all learners, leaders have developed four clear pathways.
Pupils with the most complex needs follow the 'Animus' pathway. Their curriculum is carefully underpinned by their education, health and care (EHC) plans. Teaching and therapeutic staff collaborate thoughtfully to ensure that each pupil has a curriculum that is highly appropriate and aligned with their next steps and needs. Pupils on the 'Koa' pathway follow a well-constructed life skills curriculum that has been carefully designed to be broad and enriching. Other pupils follow a subject-specific curriculum. The school has ensured that the curriculum is planned and delivered by subject specialists who have a real passion for their subject. Pupils benefit from clear teaching unpinned by carefully sequenced curriculums. This ensures that across subjects they learn, pupils achieve well.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2014 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
49.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism, Multi-sensory +3
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Oak Grove College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oak Grove College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oak Grove College is in West Sussex; for families living there:
Apply to West Sussex for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 54
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 13
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 54 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 41 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 5 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
17 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
274 pupils
276 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Worthing
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Worthing
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,806
Applications
8,765
Got 1st preference
87.5%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
274
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Oak Grove College provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
274
Total Pupils
192
Boys
82
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
48
Teachers
5.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,485
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.2%
Overall absence
33.5%
Persistent absence
251
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Oak Grove College
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Oak Grove College
What are GCSE results like at Oak Grove College?
In the 2024 results, pupils at Oak Grove College achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.6 and a Progress 8 score of -1.61, well below the national average. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Oak Grove College's Ofsted rating?
Oak Grove College's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Oak Grove College?
No fixed boundary. When Oak Grove College is oversubscribed, West Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Oak Grove College?
Oak Grove College has around 274 pupils on roll. 49% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Oak Grove College have specialist SEN provision?
Oak Grove College provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Oak Grove College?
10.2% of sessions were missed at Oak Grove College in 2024/25. 33.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Oak Grove College?
Apply through West Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Oak Grove College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Oak Grove College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 54 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 41 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 5 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 17 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Oak Grove College?
Oak Grove College is at The Boulevard, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 1JX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)